Game Thread: Argos vs. TiCats Saturday Aug. 22 7:00 PM CNE Game - Carnies, Corn Dogs, and Canadian Football

[OV Argo]

Right - so - Tracy Ham was not a bad QB, just made to look like a bum (another poster's words) when he tried to run an offence that just was not for him with the Argos. Though he did get slaughtered bad in the 90 GC before that, he went on to win a GC with the Stallions and had some fine years with the Als (teamed with a great run game & RB in Pringle again). Point being - yep - trying to plug a circle in a square, especially with QBs, and then blaming it all on the QB IMO means you don't understand football very well. And give a QB who has shown some real skills lots of chances and he might pull thru for a particular team.

Tre Ford has been given quite a few CFL opportunities, including being anointed EE starter last year, and has had very mixed results, with some real poor showings included ... trying to run standard, simple, mostly sit in the pocket, pass 80% of the time CFL offence, that is in vogue in the league now. IMO, a sharp, innovative football OC who has that type of QB (wether he is starter out of TC or has to go in as injury replacement) could design and play-call an offence to suit that QB - big ground game with one or more quality RBs; have lots of options for the mobile QB to take off and run, for big yardage and first downs, and then that sets up the pass game well. I.e. - Not sit in the pocket and look for check-downs all day. Unfortunately for Tre Ford (or maybe include Dustin Crum as well), there are just not any such offensive coaches in charge of a CFL offence now. Same old CFL - in so many ways.

Not buying this cope at all. Ticats run RPOs just like every other team, which means Ford can keep the ball and take off any time he wants. That involves the QB reading what defenders are doing -- crashing the line, staying home, dropping off. But Ford rarely runs off RPOs because he's either not able or not confident enough to make those reads. Most of his runs come off plays that break down.

B.C. started raw rookie Salter in Winnipeg running Rourke's offence and he threw maybe three good passes all game. But he rushed for 150 yards, much of it on RPOs. He could make those reads. Helped win the game for them which started their turnaround.

Ha, ha. RPO's with an emphasis on the QB to take off are a real feature of all CFL offences for sure; just like tight ends and fullbacks are too.

[OV Argo]

Chris Jones is the same guy who used a first round draft pick on Ford and started him in games in his very first season. Ford was also declared the starter in Edmonton for the first 5 games of 2025 and played terribly - it was his job to lose and he lost it.

When Milanovich pulled him against Calgary, it was because, again, he was playing terribly. Consistency - or the lack thereof - has been a significant issue for Tre Ford but he continues to get chance after chance.

You mean sort of like Jake Maier, or MBT or Nick Arbuckle or Jake Dolegala or Caleb Evans or Dominique Davis or Antonio Pipkin or James Franklin or Kevin Glenn, etc. etc. etc. ?

Yep, Ford is being treated equally to a couple of those American QBs who have won Grey Cups. He has gotten more opportunity than the likes of Dolegala, Evans, Davis, Pipkin, and Franklin. Glenn played some 18 years in the league and, while not a superstar, was a useful QB who could start and win games. I don't understand what your complaint is then regarding Ford.

Well, pretty well all those QBs I mentioned are examples of CFL QBs who had some CFL success with some wins and good play, mixed in with some real craptacular play or plain average at best play; which is sort of what Tre Ford has on his CFL resume so far. Yet, the majority of CFL "fans" I hear from (on internet forums) are gleefully celebrating every bad game Ford has or pointing out weakness in his games - "not a starter", "sandlot ball" - I'll guess those types are looking for some confirmation that the CFL GOBs are right that Canadian QBs aren't fit to play in their league. Ford after all, is the 2nd Canadian trained QB to actually get to compete for and gain real playing time in the "radical" league in around 50 years or so (Greg Vavra won the Stamps starting job out of TC in 84 and then ended up on a couple of other CFL teams for a bit). Every half century or so should do.

Ford got drafted after he ran a 4.4 range forty by a CFL genius who loves his "fast athletes" - and he got to play some for a struggling EE team; he only got to play for his 2nd CFL team after injury hit their vet starter, and after being passed over at first for a proven weak QB in Dolegala and then got yanked quickly for a QB with zero Canadian ball experience.

We'll see how much more CFL playing time Ford gets and how long he lasts in the league. Figure he will last as long and make as many different teams as Nick Arbuckle; or get to lose 15 games or so in a row as a starter like Jake Maier; or still get a CFL call in his late 30s?

[argolio]

Ha, ha. RPO's with an emphasis on the QB to take off are a real feature of all CFL offences for sure; just like tight ends and fullbacks are too.

Lame reply..

60s and 70s offences are never coming back. Try living in the present, old man.

[OV Argo]

Ha, ha. RPO's with an emphasis on the QB to take off are a real feature of all CFL offences for sure; just like tight ends and fullbacks are too.

Lame reply..

60s and 70s offences are never coming back. Try living in the present, old man.

I'll suggest you actually learn to watch and understand football; instead of trotting out feeble cliches you were sold - Glen Suitor or some other expert told ya ?

[IssuesMcgee]

When I was a kid, I had a mini Argos helmet that fit perfectly on my cat's head.

[OV Argo]

When I was a kid, I had a mini Argos helmet that fit perfectly on my cat's head.

When I was a little kid, Dick Shatto phoned our house to ask to speak to me, after my parents had wrote him / the Argos saying what a big fan i was (was out and missed the call - maybe the cat's fault); i did wear a football helmet (with #22 taped on likely) to see Dick & the Argos play at Lansdowne and got razzed by some Ottawa fans.

[IssuesMcgee]

When I was a kid, I had a mini Argos helmet that fit perfectly on my cat's head.

When I was a little kid, Dick Shatto phoned our house to ask to speak to me, after my parents had wrote him / the Argos saying what a big fan i was (was out and missed the call - maybe the cat's fault); i did wear a football helmet (with #22 taped on likely) to see Dick & the Argos play at Lansdowne and got razzed by some Ottawa fans.

That's actually a good story. Sucks you missed the call though. Damn cat. Hard to stay mad at them for too long though.

[paulwoods13]

That's actually a good story.

You sound surprised.

[OV Argo]

When I was a kid, I had a mini Argos helmet that fit perfectly on my cat's head.

When I was a little kid, Dick Shatto phoned our house to ask to speak to me, after my parents had wrote him / the Argos saying what a big fan i was (was out and missed the call - maybe the cat's fault); i did wear a football helmet (with #22 taped on likely) to see Dick & the Argos play at Lansdowne and got razzed by some Ottawa fans.

That's actually a good story. Sucks you missed the call though. Damn cat. Hard to stay mad at them for too long though.

Actually is a true story - the phone call part - my 89 year old Mom can still recall and tell the story (says she nearly dropped the phone when she found out who was calling); not sure if we had a cat back then; we did get a subsequent letter from Mr. Shatto - wish I had got to hang onto it, but you would need a warehouse to store all the stuff you treasured as a kid and thru life, and don't think sports collectibles were much of a thing back then - my CFL, NHL and MLB cards from back in the 60s into the 70s would be worth a small fortune now if i had kept them all.

[ArgoRavi]

You mean sort of like Jake Maier, or MBT or Nick Arbuckle or Jake Dolegala or Caleb Evans or Dominique Davis or Antonio Pipkin or James Franklin or Kevin Glenn, etc. etc. etc. ?

Yep, Ford is being treated equally to a couple of those American QBs who have won Grey Cups. He has gotten more opportunity than the likes of Dolegala, Evans, Davis, Pipkin, and Franklin. Glenn played some 18 years in the league and, while not a superstar, was a useful QB who could start and win games. I don't understand what your complaint is then regarding Ford.

Well, pretty well all those QBs I mentioned are examples of CFL QBs who had some CFL success with some wins and good play, mixed in with some real craptacular play or plain average at best play; which is sort of what Tre Ford has on his CFL resume so far. Yet, the majority of CFL "fans" I hear from (on internet forums) are gleefully celebrating every bad game Ford has or pointing out weakness in his games - "not a starter", "sandlot ball" - I'll guess those types are looking for some confirmation that the CFL GOBs are right that Canadian QBs aren't fit to play in their league. Ford after all, is the 2nd Canadian trained QB to actually get to compete for and gain real playing time in the "radical" league in around 50 years or so (Greg Vavra won the Stamps starting job out of TC in 84 and then ended up on a couple of other CFL teams for a bit). Every half century or so should do.

Ford got drafted after he ran a 4.4 range forty by a CFL genius who loves his "fast athletes" - and he got to play some for a struggling EE team; he only got to play for his 2nd CFL team after injury hit their vet starter, and after being passed over at first for a proven weak QB in Dolegala and then got yanked quickly for a QB with zero Canadian ball experience.

We'll see how much more CFL playing time Ford gets and how long he lasts in the league. Figure he will last as long and make as many different teams as Nick Arbuckle; or get to lose 15 games or so in a row as a starter like Jake Maier; or still get a CFL call in his late 30s?

Ford has been in the league for five years already - the same as Chad Kelly and Davis Alexander - and I expect that, barring injury, he will be around for a few more years at least. That's not a bad pro career. He does enough well, enough of the time, to at least be a backup who can step in, start, and win some games for you.